The Aftermath
by Dark Metal Queen
Summary: Just drabbles, short story about what happens to Lupin and Tonks shortly after the battle and Dumbledore's death and other stories. Commment.


**The Aftermath**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer: I don't own the Half Blood Prince. It belongs to J.K. Rowling. I just own my imagination. <strong>

**Enjoy**

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><p>Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead.<p>

Its a single word the rings through everyone's ears in the hospital wing. No one could believe it. How could a man so great, so intelligent, so strong, be dead? It didn't seem real, it was like being in a dream only backwards. A great man crossed that thin line of the living and into death. They had only begun to mourn and more of it was coming. This did not stop Molly and Fleur from going at each other. Everyone looked shocked when she said Bill's scars weren't going to stop her from marrying him.

"You see!" said a strained voice. Tonks was glaring at Lupin. "She still wants to marry him, even though he's been bitten! She doesn't care!

"It's different," said Lupin, barely moving his lips and looking suddenly tense. "Bill will not be a full werewolf. The cases are completely -"

"But I don't care either, I don't care!" said Tonks, seizing the front of Lupin's robes and shaking them. "I've told you a million times. . . ."

"And I've told you a million times," said Lupin, refusing to meet her eyes, staring at the floor, "that I am too old for you, too poor . . . too dangerous. . . ."

"I've said all along you're taking a ridiculous line on this, Remus," said Mrs. Weasley over Fleur's shoulder as she patted her on the back.

"I am not being ridiculous," said Lupin steadily. "Tonks deserves somebody young and whole."

"But she wants you," said Mr. Weasley, with a small smile. "And after all, Remus, young and whole men do not necessarily remain so."

He gestured sadly at his son, lying between them.

"This is... not the moment to discuss it," said Lupin, avoiding everybody's eyes as he looked around distractedly. "Dumbledore is dead. ..."

"Dumbledore would have been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world," said Professor McGonagall curtly, just as the hospital doors opened again and Hagrid walked in.

After Hagrid had told them all everything about the body and he, McGonagall, and Harry leave, Lupin and Tonks go back into their argument. Tonks crosses her arms and Lupin looks like he's already been beaten. She looks up and starts to circle around him.

"McGonagall's right Lupin," Tonks says, "If only you could admit it and stop being a damn ass."

"So now I'm reduced to last name mention only," Lupin said, "I thought we were through with these damn pretenses."

"So now you're calling me childish? Now you're not just denying and avoiding this issue you're insulting me."

"Didn't you see how I lost control when we all found out that Dumbledore's dead and that Snape killed him?" Lupin shouted, "Even though I try, do you see how easily I can lose control?"

"Are you saying I can't handle that? I think I've proven I can handle anything thrown at me! I think I've handled you pretty well!"

"How well did you handle when I first told that dating wasn't a good idea? You grew depressed and avoident. Is that what you call handing it well?"

In the background no one could take their eyes off Lupin and Tonks. Fred and George had to suppress their laughter, the other adults looked on in a sort of shocked silence, and the kids dared not to speak. Someone did have to speak though and it was Ron commenting on what Remus had just said.

"Have you ever heard Lupin be sarcastic before?" he whispered to Hermione and Ginny. They shook their heads, "I think we should have left with Harry."

"Agreed," Hermione said.

However it didn't matter what anyone said, no one left the room. Watching the two of them argue and shout at each other was like watching a train crash; no one could look away. Lupin and Tonks were soap opera stars the room was obsessed with. Everyone leaned in even closer when Tonks got into his face.

"You will not speak to me like that Remus! Not in that sarcastic tone, not in any tone at all!"

"Which means we're back to no longer speaking to each other at all!"

"Yes and its all your decision, or I should say indecision because if you actually made up your mind it would mean you gave a damn!"

Before he can say anything though Tonks pushes him out of the way as she angrily strides to the door and goes out into the endless maze of corridors. Lupin goes after her and the doors slam shut leaving the rest of the party inside wanting to know what's going to happen. The kids at least rush over to the doors and opens them a crack to see what is going on. They see that Lupin and Tonks have gone a considerable amount along the corridor so that they look like the size of ants from where the kids were spying. Fred and George offer their Extendable Ears for them to hear better. Ginny tells them that Lupin and Tonks would be able to see them. So they were forced to strain the hearing and vision to try and keep up what was happening with their dear friends.

"….Oh you finally admit that you fucked up with me," Tonks stared him down, her eyes were penetrating bullets to Lupin's core, "That's a start. Will you admit your feelings too?"

"Go easy on me Nymphadora," Lupin jadedly says to her.

"Easy? Easy? You think it was easy going on in that dreadful depression like a stupid dementor was around? Well compared to you I would have rather been kissed."

Ooohs came from the direction of the room they had just left. Tonks pointed her wand at the door to make it so the kids behind it couldn't hear a thing that she or Lupin said, however Lupin blocked her and reluctantly she put her arm down. The kids in the room breathed a sigh of relief that Lupin blocked Tonks' shot. Fred whispers something to George as Ron says, "Thank God Lupin deflected her." Ginny replies that she's glad that they still get to hear what's going on.

"If only we had Harry's invisibility cloak," Ron complained, "At least then one of us could see and hear clearly."

For once Hermione agreed with him even though eavesdropping was something she would normally criticize them all for.

Molly, Arthur, and Fleur were too busy attending to Bill to say or notice anything else and didn't even hear when Fred and George began making loud jokes and even louder bets on the subjects they were spying on.

Lupin and Tonks were still arguing but it had slowly began to simmer down. Not long later though they heard footsteps coming closer and then realized it was Harry. He didn't dare interrupt his old professor and his friend so Harry quickly and quietly hurried back into the room and began asking what was going on. All that his friends could tell him was what Molly would occasionally mutter.

"Which is?" Harry asked.

"That apparently after a few months in the order Lupin and Tonks began to fancy the other," explained Hermione, "Nothing happened at first but it became obvious to everyone else in the Order that something was and ought to happen. Late winter was when Tonks finally told Lupin how she felt. Lupin didn't say anything back except the bit about being too poor, too old and too dangerous. Tonks felt dumped and went into a depression. The only person Lupin apparently told how he felt was Sirius."

"Wow," was all Harry said.

"Now quiet," Fred said, "We're trying to hear."

George looks up at Harry with a trickster smile.

"Harry, you have your invisibility cloak right," George asked.

Harry says that he does. George tells him to put it on and go out and tell them what's going on. Despite objecting he goes outside creeps further down the hall and hides behind a wall to spy on Lupin and Tonks more closely. The two of them continue to argue and argue.

"...why I kept away from you? You want to know why I avoided you and said it was a bad idea?"

"Yes Remus, I'd like to know why!"

"I didn't want you dead. I didn't want to wake up one day I find out I killed you in a fit I can't control."

Lupin seemed even more serious as he said this. Tonks took a step forward.

"Like I said Remus, I can handle it. Trust me. You know I won't let you hurt me. Maybe we should make the unbreakable vow if that would give you some comfort," Tonks said.

"That's not necessary Nymphadora."

"Are you sure Remus? I could always call Harry out," Tonks offers, "Harry! Harry! Come out from the corner and take the cloak off."

Reluctantly Harry does as he's told but neither Lupin or Tonks look angry at him for spying on them. Again Tonks offers the vow, Remus refuses, and Harry stands there wondering what to say. What does a person say when they see two adults acting like nervous hormonal teenagers? Lupin and Tonks just stare at each other and this time it wasn't in a menacing way. Out of the corner of his eye Lupin sees Harry trying to sneak away from them and back to his friends.

"Stay here Harry," Lupin sternly says, it almost sounded like a command, but he doesn't take his eyes off Tonks.

"So, what do you want Remus?" Tonks asks him. "What do you want?"

"What I want...I want..."

This was incredibly hard for him to say and even harder to watch but Lupin kept stammering and someone had to say something. It looked like it had to be Harry.

"Kiss her already! Or tell Tonks you love her Remus!"

Lupin just stared at his former student like a small dog struck dumb. Tonks' expression doesn't look any better. Harry throws his hands up in the air in complete frustration.

"God! You two are supposed to be adults and you're acting like us, just teenagers. Now why don't you just admit your feelings already!" harry shouted at them, "If you won't listen to me or anyone else then maybe you g―"

"Let me make up your mind Remus," Tonks says.

"What?" he said.

Again Tonks grabs Lupin's robes and this time kisses him. It didn't last long but it caused big reactions from everyone who saw them. Harry looked shocked, everyone in the room had gasped, Fred gave a whisper, George sniggered. Molly finally turned around and hurried to look with her kids, same with Arthur, and even Fleur pulled herself away from Bill to look as well. No one though looked as surprised as Lupin.

"Well Remus?" Tonks and Harry asked.

"Well. Well. Well..." everyone else said in shallow gasps.

"Say something Lupin!" everyone spying demanded.

"Do something!" Harry said.

And so moments passed as Lupin looked Petrified as he was deep in thought.

Beat. Beat. Beat.

Beat. Beat. Beat.

"Come on Lupin. Come on. Come on," everyone behind the door whispered in anticipation, "Come on."

Tonks' anger returned and her depression comes back.

"You know what Remus," she said in a dead voice, "If you don't want to admit anything, if you don't want me then I'll just go. I don't care"

She turns around and starts to leave.

"Noooooo!" the entire group says.

Absentmindedly Lupin grabs Tonks' arm. She gets a shocked look on her face. Harry, and everyone in the infirmary hold their breath.

Beat...beat...beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Beat.

"You think he's going to," George wonders.

Everyone else responds with "I don't know," and beg God (and anyone they could think of) that Lupin makes the right move.

"Come on Remus, don't break her heart again. Don't dump her," Molly says in a hurried whisper.

"Make her happy. Make her happy," Hermione and Ginny chant.

"Don't be a git," Ron says

Fleur bite her lip, quickly looks back at Bill, and begins to chant with Hermione and Ginny. Arthur puts an arm around Molly and and hopes as well Lupin will make the right move.

In the corridor Harry whispers to do it all ready and that Lupin will finally be happy if he does just that. Tonks seems to be waiting for this as well.

Minutes, possibly an eternity might have passed and the suspense was killing everybody although it probably killed Tonks more. Slowly, ever so slowly, does Lupin grab her other arm, he pulls her closer, and leans in closer himself. If this had been a movie the background music would have picked up speed. Just like people watching a movie a few people, Fleur and Molly, bit their nails in excitement.

The moments were agony to wait and then finally Lupin leaned in, like someone had pushed him even closer, and kissed Tonks back.

"Yes!"

"Yea!"

"Finally!"

Everyone cheered and cheered at the sight of them. Harry crept away quietly when he saw Tonks wrap her arms around Lupin's neck and Lupin wraps his arms around her waist. Quickly Tonks appearance began to get back to normal. Her hair kept changing to every color imaginable, it never stayed the same for more than a few seconds. The two of them finally pull apart, still holding onto each other, panting slightly, trying to catch their breaths.

"So..." she slowly said, "...Have you...made up...your mind?"

"Yes," he whispered, "I-I love you. I love you, Nymphadora Tonks. I love you."

And so for one last time that night they kiss and not even the recent battle and death of the Dumbledore couldn't ruin it and the beginning of a new relationship.


End file.
